AstroPrint v0.9 features live video streaming of 3D printers and Raspberry Pi 3 support

Jun 6, 2016 | By Tess

AstroPrint, the free cloud-based platform and marketplace that lets you splice, store, and 3D print wirelessly through your smartphone or tablet has just released its latest version, v0.9(0). The new version of AstroPrint includes some exciting new features, among them are a Live Video Streaming feature, and support for Raspberry Pi 3.

According to the San Diego, California-based company, live video streaming, which allows makers to keep tabs on their prints no matter where they are, has been one of the most requested features by their users. With the new AstroPrint feature, users will finally be able to watch their print not only in real-time, but in full screen and in high definition from the AstroPrint dashboard.

As AstroPrint explains, they have opted to use WebRTC, a nonproprietary real-time communications plug-in which supports browser-to-browser applications for a variety of communication purposes, such as live video streaming. By using WebRTC technology as a basis for their new live video streaming feature, AstroPrint will not have to be a middleman during users’ live streams. In other words, “Since [AstroPrint is] not a proxy between you and your video, you have complete control over it.”

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How does it work? It’s quite simple. Using your Raspberry Pi based AstroBox and a compatible camera (USB cameras that are Linux compatible, for instance, RockSoul, Logitech C920, and Logitech C615) you can easily set up your live video stream through the Monitor App located on your dashboard. From there you simply have to select the Camera/Controls option for your AstroBox, switch it to Video Mode, then click on the round camera icon to start the live stream. AstroPrint warns that it may take some time to get the video stream up and running, and you might experience a bit of lag, but those can be resolved with only a little bit of patience.

There are some limitations of the technology beyond just some lags, however. As AstroPrint explains, the live video streaming feature through their website using WebRTC is only compatible with Raspberry Pi based AstroBoxes. pcDuino based AstroBoxes can still stream video, but they will have to do it through their local network using AstroBox’s Monitor App. Additionally, as the technology stands right now, native support for certain features is lacking, for instance, H264 videos are not very well supported.

As the company states on their blog about the live video streaming, “This is a huge feature for AstroPrint and as far as we know, we are the first 3D Printing Cloud Platform to incorporate WebRTC in such a unique manner.”

As mentioned, AstroPrint v0.9(0) also includes support for Raspberry Pi 3, which means you can build now your own AstroBox with Raspberry Pi versions 1, 2, and 3. One small note about the Raspberry Pi 3 compatibility: you will need an extra WiFi dongle in addition to the Raspberry Pi 3’s built-in WiFi. This is to maintain internet connectivity through WiFi while also broadcasting a hotspot.

@Casper:
Read it carefully.
It says: "we are the first 3D Printing CLOUD PLATFORM to incorporate WebRTC in such a unique manner."
Octoprint is *NOT* a Cloud Platform, so this statement has nothing to do with what you said. No idea if Octoprint uses WebRTC, but even if they did, it's still not a CLOUD

Manny wrote at 6/6/2016 9:44:23 PM:

Great!

Casper wrote at 6/6/2016 3:25:28 PM:

"we are the first 3D Printing Cloud Platform to incorporate WebRTC in such a unique manner."
Uhhh, OctoPrint users have been doing this for well over a year.

Jesse wrote at 6/6/2016 3:07:36 PM:

Finally they released live video streaming! Can't wait to try it out.

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